Publications
Publications
- July 2020
- HBS Case Collection
Michael Solomonov: Jerusalem in a Bowl
By: Boris Groysberg, Evan M.S. Hecht and Katherine Connolly Baden
Abstract
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook had begun to wonder whether it might be time to rethink their opportunistic approach to the expansion of their small restaurant empire in Philadelphia, CooknSolo. The pandemic, however, caused an abrupt and intense change of focus—the goal was no longer expansion, but survival. Solomonov had overcome much in his life, including addiction and the death of his younger brother; these experiences had given him the perspective to take on great challenges in his career, the COVID-19 pandemic being the greatest challenge yet. As the economy cautiously started to reopen in June 2020, how should Solomonov and Cook proceed? How should they think about their business in terms of survival through the duration of the pandemic and set themselves up to come back even stronger in the post-pandemic world?
Keywords
Restaurant Industry; Entrepreneur; COVID-19; Crisis; Crisis Response Plans; Entrepreneurship; Food; Health Pandemics; Crisis Management; Innovation and Invention; Leadership; Creativity; Strategy; Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Risk and Uncertainty; Situation or Environment; Food and Beverage Industry; United States
Citation
Groysberg, Boris, Evan M.S. Hecht, and Katherine Connolly Baden. "Michael Solomonov: Jerusalem in a Bowl." Harvard Business School Case 421-016, July 2020.